


Under This Tree I Weep For You (and the promise I made)

by spideyhollan6



Category: 1917 (2019), 1917 (film)
Genre: 1917, Alternate Ending, Character Death, Crying, Friendship/Love, Letters, M/M, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Sad Ending, Soldiers, alternate ending - 1917, tree scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:01:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22233730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideyhollan6/pseuds/spideyhollan6
Summary: Summary: Schofield writes the letter to Blake’s mother and weeps for the friend he lost.~Or: Alternate ending where Schofield shows more emotion of losing Blake and writes the letter.
Relationships: Blake/William schofield, Lance Corporal Blake/Lance Corporal Schofield, Tom Blake/Will Schofield
Comments: 25
Kudos: 116





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS FOR THE FILM 1917!!  
> Warnings: bit of language!  
> *Underlined is the letter to Blake’s Mum*  
> Recommend listening to James Arthur ~ ‘Before you Go’ and ‘Come Back To Us’ from the movie soundtrack while reading.

Sitting under the big, tall oak tree as the wind blew through the grass, Schofield gripped the pen in his fingers and bit his lip as tears formed in his eyes.

_I can’t do this. I can’t do this._

_How could he possibly tell Mrs. Blake that Tom had passed? Why did Blake have to choose him to go?!_

Using the back of his hand, Will wiped his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat. Pressed the pen to the paper sitting in his lap.

_April 7, 1917_

_Dear Mrs. Blake,_

_My name is Lance Corporal William Schofield. I was sent on a mission with your son, Tom Blake to hand deliver a message stopping the 2nd Battalion from an unknown ambush by the Germans. Your oldest son Joseph was in the first wave to attack, but was unharmed._

_oh god._ His hands were trembling. A teardrop fell off his cheek onto the paper, staining it.

_I’m regretfully writing to you that on the way to the Battalion, Tom was killed. He went quickly and he wasn’t in any pain._

Not fucking true, he died in my arms crying in pain. He didn’t fucking deserve this!

_I waited with him until the end, and I held his hand. Before he died, he made me promise to write you this letter. He told me to tell you how much he loves you and how he wished it could’ve been different._

“I just left him there, he died and I left him there...I couldn’t even bury him!” Will’s voice trembled as an endless cascade of tears hit the letter and the soft green grass beneath him grew wet. His sobs filled the air and drifted away with the wind, tear stains cold on his cheeks.

_I’m sorry I couldn’t help your son, but everything happened so quickly and there was nothing I could do to stop it._

Bullshit. If I hadn’t went to get water, that soldier wouldn’t have stabbed Blake and he might still be here with me! Not able to take anymore of this, Will finished and signed the letter before folding it and dropping it in the grass with a soft whoosh.

Grasping his dirty blonde hair in his fists, Will groaned in agony.

”Blake. Blake...” A gut wrenching sob escaped his throat and Will lay down in the grass under the tree, wishing this had gone a different way. Wishing it was him who’d gotten stabbed by that bastard, not Blake.

”I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He whispered into the air, shutting his eyes to the rest of the slowly dimming world as the sun began to set on the day of 7 April, 1917.  
  
~

  
“Hey, mate.” Schofield felt himself being shaken awake. “Mate, you alright?” It was Joseph, leaning over him. He was still underneath the big tree, hair askew and tear tracks visible on his face.

”Must’ve fallen asleep.” He told Joseph as he rubbed the sleep from his face.

”What time is it? D’you know?” He peered up at the lieutenant. The older man checked his watch.

”8:32 AM.” Came the reply.

”Thanks.” Spying his letter still on the ground, he picks it up and slowly hands it to Joseph. “Here. The letter. To your mum.”

The lieutenant is quiet for a moment before replying, “Oh, yeah. I’ll send it later.”

Will nods and stares out at the sunrise peeking through the trees. 1,600 people are alive because of him and Blake. They did it. He still can’t believe it.

”What a beautiful place.” He whispers.

Lieutenant Joseph nods. “Yes, it is.”

Letting out a sigh, Will pats the ground next to him. “Sit a while, Joe?” He asks. “Please?”

“Why not? We’ve made it this far.”

”That’s right.”

A peaceful silence envelops the two soldiers.

”Thank you.”

”For what?” Will asks.

”For taking care of my brother. For being his friend.” Sincerity mixed with tears fill Joseph’s eyes.

**”Of course.”**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An edit I made of 1917 on my instagram! If the link doesn't work, message me :))

https://www.instagram.com/spideyhollan6/

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave thoughts and kudos!


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